Breaking: FBI Believes Original Nancy Guthrie Ransom Notes Were Real | Nancy Guthrie Case Update

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Breaking: FBI Believes Original Nancy Guthrie Ransom Notes Were Real"

Podcast: Drop Dead Serious with Ashleigh Banfield
Release Date: April 7, 2026
Host: Ashleigh Banfield
Episode Focus: New revelations in the Nancy Guthrie case, particularly the FBI's belief regarding original ransom notes and their implications.

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Episode Overview

This urgent update episode provides significant new developments in the ongoing Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case. Ashleigh Banfield shares that the FBI now believes the original ransom notes sent to TMZ and local Tucson TV stations were authentic communications from the real kidnappers. The episode meticulously unpacks the sequence of ransom communications, explores possible motivations, analyzes the behavior of the ransom note senders, and features exclusive insights from TMZ’s Harvey Levin and Charles Ladibodier.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Clarifying the Timeline and Communications

• Days into Case: The update comes on day 65 of the investigation.
• Multiple Letters:
  • Two original ransom notes sent to TMZ and Tucson TV stations (KVOA, KGUN).
  • The notes escalated threats—demanded payment by Thursday with a Monday deadline escalating the ransom to $6 million, but also (for the first time shared publicly) explicitly threatened to kill Nancy Guthrie.
  • Communications ceased after the second note; no contact from kidnappers since.
  • Both notes contained the same Bitcoin address, linking them to the same source.
• Other Messages:
  • Text extortion attempts sent to Savannah's sister and brother-in-law (Annie and Tommaso), traced to a California scammer (Derek Colea), not connected to the actual kidnapping.
  • Separate ongoing emails to TMZ from another individual claiming knowledge of the real kidnappers, offering to expose them for Bitcoin.

“The headline here is that the original letters … threatened to kill Nancy Guthrie. We had not heard that until now.” – Ashleigh Banfield (01:23)

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2. FBI’s View and the Authenticity of the Ransom Notes

• FBI: Original Two Notes Are “Real”:
  • FBI communicated to TMZ that they believe these ransom notes were genuinely from the kidnappers, not scammers.
  • FBI has closely collaborated with TMZ, reviewing all case-related communications.
  • Despite sophisticated digital forensics, efforts to trace the sender or Bitcoin accounts have yielded nothing.
• Significance: This marks a shift from skepticism to treating the initial anonymous communications as critical evidence, heightening the urgency of the investigation.

“I know that the FBI believes that those ransom notes are real, that that is from the kidnapper.” – Harvey Levin (16:01)

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3. Recurring “I Know Who Did It” Emails

• Sender Profile:
  • Not the kidnapper, but claims knowledge of their identity.
  • Has contacted TMZ over six times, using the same unique Bitcoin address.
  • Latest communications (day of recording) included:
    • Demand for half a Bitcoin upfront (~$35,000 at current rates), half upon arrest.
    • Stated Nancy is dead but reiterated knowing the kidnappers’ location.
    • Claimed to have seen Nancy alive with the kidnappers in Sonora, Mexico (referencing the past).
    • Expressed frustration and anger at being dismissed, and resented that law enforcement ignored him despite “millions” being spent.

Notable Quote:
"It is unbelievable that millions have been wasted, and yet here I am waiting to deliver them on a silver platter since the 11th of February for a Bitcoin. But I am disregarded as a scam." – Letter read by Ashleigh Banfield (06:30)

• Skepticism About Motivation:
  • Commentary wonders why the informant seeks so little (Bitcoin payments totaling ~$70,000) versus the much larger $1.2 million official reward.
  • Informant claims lack of trust in the FBI and desire to quietly start a new life, possibly due to criminal record or fear of retribution.

“He said, I don't trust the FBI. That's why he started contacting us.” – Harvey Levin (27:49)

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4. Harvey Levin and TMZ’s Involvement ([12:22])

• Role: Central conduit for various communications—both ransom and supposed tipsters.
• Interaction with FBI:
  • TMZ has given all information to the FBI and collaborated on IT tracing efforts.
  • FBI has exhausted digital trace routes for the Bitcoin wallets and sender’s IPs, coming up empty.
• Harvey’s Perspective:
  • Despite skepticism from some agents, Harvey’s instincts suggest the latest repeated informant might have some knowledge, based on peculiarities like downgrading urgency or referencing Nancy’s status change.
  • Remains unsure why offer remains far less than the reward, and why informant doesn’t simply claim the larger prize.

Memorable Analysis:
“If somebody is carrying out a hoax, why would they take the immediacy away and say she's no longer alive? That made it feel to me like there's something legit.” – Charles Ladibodier (14:55)

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5. Case Status and Frustration

• Perfect Crime?
  • Despite security cameras, forensics, and digital trails, both Nancy and her abductor(s) have vanished.
  • FBI and local law enforcement have no suspects, no physical leads, and cannot trace the digital evidence.
  • Noted by Harvey and Ashleigh as “stunning” for 2026 technology and policing.

Quote:
“It's like the perfect crime that. I didn't think that existed anymore.” – Charles Ladibodier (23:58)

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6. Public Appeal and Rewards

• Reward Reminder:
  • FBI wants the public to know the official reward is over $1 million for information—a figure that’s grown to $1.2 million with combined sources.
• Call to Action:
  • Ashleigh repeatedly urges listeners to call the FBI tip line with any relevant details, especially if they noticed unusual behavior around February 1 or shortly after.

"I always say for people who think that someone they know acted in a weird way in those dates: 1-800-CALL-FBI." – Ashleigh Banfield (21:33)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Threats to Nancy’s Life:
  “The ransom letters did threaten to kill her.” – Harvey Levin (20:28)
• On Technology Failing the Investigation:
  “I just never thought of the perfect crime being something like this, where somehow you could evade everyone.” – Charles Ladibodier (24:34)
• On Nature of Current Informant:
  “He's been kind of bent out of shape from almost the beginning, saying, everybody thinks I'm crazy… What does it worth my while is a bitcoin.” – Harvey Levin (26:29)

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Important Timestamps

• [00:51] – Banfield outlines the confusion around the different notes.
• [06:30] – Banfield reads direct excerpts from the latest tipster’s emails to TMZ.
• [12:22] – Interview with TMZ’s Harvey Levin begins.
• [14:38] – Charles and Harvey discuss changes in note urgency and their implications.
• [16:01] – Harvey Levin states belief that FBI considers original ransomware communications real.
• [18:23] – Differences between the first and second ransom notes.
• [19:52] – Discussion on Savannah’s public responses and their implications.
• [20:28] – Confirmation that ransom notes contained threats to Nancy’s life.
• [23:54] – Discussion shifts to the surprising effectiveness of the criminals' evasion.
• [25:04] – Frustration over lack of physical and digital evidence.

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Overall Tone and Takeaways

The episode is urgent, detail-oriented, and deeply skeptical—in line with Ashleigh Banfield’s “irreverent” personal style. There’s a palpable frustration at the mysterious dead-ends: sophisticated investigations have so far been fruitless, high-stakes digital ransom demands have only deepened the mystery, and even credible FBI efforts have not led to breakthroughs. The episode closes by emphasizing the importance of public tips and the persistent hope that even a small clue could finally turn the tide in the Nancy Guthrie disappearance.

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Conclusion

This special update clarifies that, according to both FBI and top journalists on the case, the earliest ransom notes were not just alarming but likely authentic—and included heretofore-unpublicized threats to Nancy Guthrie’s life. As law enforcement and the media struggle to find new leads, the public’s help is more vital than ever. The episode balances urgent breaking news with expert analysis, candid skepticism, and an open appeal to listeners to be part of solving one of the 2026’s most confounding true crime mysteries.

Transcript

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[Ashley Banfield]

Hey, everybody. I'm Ashley Banfield. This is drop dead serious. I have some really big news to share with you about the Nancy Guthrie case. We're on day 65, and I know I already dropped an episode earlier because Savannah returned to the Today show this morning, but I've learned something from TMZ that I did not know before. And it all comes amid sort of a whole tumble of information about new ransom like letters that have come into tmz. So let's be really clear because it's getting confusing about all of the different letters. But the headline here is that the original letters that came to TMZ and local TV stations in Tucson, there were two letters. They threatened to kill Nancy Guthrie. We had not heard that until now. We always knew that there was a consequence threatened if you don't pay by Thursday, then by Monday, there's a second deadline. And the consequence is that the money goes up, I think to 6 million. But we'd never heard that. The other consequence was that they threatened to kill Nancy Guthrie. And then, of course, after those two letters, they went silent. And we never heard anything afterwards. And they didn't give a mode of communication to the FBI, to the police, to tmz, to KVOA and Tucson, to kgun and Tucson. And incidentally, KGUN also called kgun. They received a second letter from these same people. And we're known. It's known that they're the same people because they had the same bitcoin address. So the first letter went to kgun, K, V, O, A and tmz, and the second letter just went to kgun. Don't know why, but it did. But they had the same bitcoin address. So they're from the same alleged ransom seekers. And that's the one that Savannah refers to in her interview with Hoda Kotb when she says, we received. The two that we received, we tend to believe are real. And TMZ has also told me that the FBI, with whom they've been working, you know, and in glove, because they're receiving the communications and they're turning them all over to the FBI. The FBI indicated to TMZ that they also. The FBI also believes that those two ransom letters are from the kidnappers, the real kidnappers. So let's talk a little bit more about what other notes came in, because it started to get confusing. Then there were text messages that went to Annie and Tommaso. Annie is Savannah's sister. Tommaso named Tommy is her husband. There were text messages that went to those two, and there were two separate messages. And an FBI's. Well, I should say a federal affidavit lists out a man in California who was arrested. Derek Colea is his name. They say he was scamming. They arrested him for scamming. To my knowledge, they don't believe he's involved in this. He hasn't been charged with kidnapping or anything related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, just the attempt to extort money. So he's facing those federal charges in the near future. He's made his appearance. I believe either he was extradited or he brought himself to Arizona to make a court appearance in the initial offings of that case. But that's a different. That. That's a different set of letters. And then come the third set of letters. And these are the letters from somebody who has reached out repeatedly a half dozen times to TMZ to say, I'm not the kidnapper, but I know who they are. Using the words they every time there's a reference, whether it's they in the singular, as some people use, or they in the plural, we don't know. But I know who they are. And for one Bitcoin, I'm willing to turn the. That information and, quote, hand them over on a silver platter. Those emails went into TMZ early on as well. Okay. Many thought that they were phony, not necessarily tmz, though. The information started with time is of the essence. And then suddenly, just within a day, I think time is no longer of the essence. And that's important to Harvey Levin because he said, if this guy isn't real, why would he downgrade the importance of his information or the fact that he could deliver either alive or dead Nancy Guthrie? Either one. There's value there. Why would he diminish that himself if he didn't know for sure? That's the gut feeling of Harvey. And you're going to hear from Harvey Levin in just a moment, and he's going to tell you everything about what they went through at TMZ today. But I do want to read for you. So I didn't make Harvey read on camera. I'm going to read for you their communications. And so first off, Harvey and Charles out of Odier, they went live on TMZ to say they've received another communication today from the guy who says he has the information. He knows who those kidnappers are and he wants to turn them in. But he wants a bitcoin. Wants half a bitcoin now. Half a bitcoin upon the arrest. And they said the news that sort of was made with this initial overture in an email to TMZ today was that Nancy's dead. That this person said, nancy is not alive, she is dead. That's what TMZ says. But he's still willing to turn these people in. And so Harvey Levin and Charles ladibodier did their TMZ live telling the news that they had received this email communication from the same person who they've received each time because it's the same bitcoin address each time. So the half dozen communications about I know who the kidnappers are and I'm willing to turn them in is always from the same person with the same bitcoin account. But after they did their live broadcast, they got another email from him, her, whoever. They got another email after their live address. And this one is more specific. They said in the second letter, quote, I saw her alive with them in the state of Sonora, Mexico. Interesting. I saw her alive with them in the state of Sonora, Mexico. Okay. And then this is where the sender starts to get angry. They're frustrated that the FBI isn't taking them seriously and said this, quote, it is unbelievable that millions have been wasted, and yet here I am waiting to deliver them on a silver platter since the 11th of February for a Bitcoin. But I am disregarded as a scam. They are free to send. They are free. And the case is frozen. But the egos remain hot when it comes to me. Arrogance at its finest. End quote. And then you should note that the price of bitcoin has been dropping, you know, and so now it's. It's a lot less. A half a bitcoin is about $35,000.

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[Ashley Banfield]

And TMZ made this deal saying, look, we, we could get the ransom money for you, right? You tell us the information, we tell the FBI. Therefore there's a record that you're part of it because the guy didn't believe he was going to get the ransom money. But we still can't figure out why he wouldn't go for the $1.2 million instead of the, you know, half a bitcoins. 35,000 maybe. If you get the full bitcoin upon the arrest, it's only like 70,000 compared to 1.2 million in ransom money. So this isn't rather in reward money. So this isn't making a whole lot of Sense. But you'll hear why Harvey is unable to impart that wisdom on this, this letter sender. They also are distancing themselves from Nancy's kidnapping, saying they're not the ones to do it. They said that they'd been out of the country for more than five years and had nothing to do with the horrific crime, just that they know who it was, who did it. And in the second note, they said they're not motivated by greed. This is what they said the motivation was, quote, I just want what's fair and to live peacefully with enough to start my life again quietly without having to join a witness protection program again. I don't know what 70,000 is going to get you in terms of trying to live your life out peacefully if you're afraid of these kidnappers. Right, because 1.2 million would be a lot better. It would be a lot more money to buy yourself some safety, if that's the concern. A couple of other things that I want to let you know is that tmz, I mentioned, they've been working hand in hand with the FBI by giving them all of the communications that they receive, but it has been a two way street. And Harvey Levin is going to tell you in just a moment what the FBI has been doing with TMZ because they have been busy with working with tmz. I know that there are a lot of people out there who say, what's TMZ got to do with anything? A lot, because that's where the communications are coming in. And so the FBI is taking it very seriously and they are doing a lot with tmz. That's coming in just a moment. But first I want you to hear from Harvey Levin. He was super busy today, but he stepped aside to do a quick interview with me. Now here's my conversation with Harvey Levin. So Harvey, more activity, more communications from these alleged ransom seekers.

[Harvey Levin]

Well, this is somebody. We've gotten more than a half dozen emails from this person. This is somebody who says they know who the kidnappers are, plural, and where Nancy Guthrie is. We haven't heard from this person in almost a month. But today we got two notes from him and you know, he is persisting. Now he wants half a bitcoin and he will divulge the location. Now he says that she is in Sonoma, let me just say Mexico, and says she is dead, but says that he can lead them to the kidnapper. And so, you know, he said this before, but you know, he is kind of repeating what he told us early on. Which is she was no longer alive as of the Wednesday after she was kidnapped.

[Ashley Banfield]

And the interesting thing is, you have turned all of these communications over to the FBI. They won't tell you. They won't tell anybody what they do with them.

[Liberty Mutual Spokesperson]

They.

[Ashley Banfield]

But, I mean, you're privy to the bitcoin wallet.

[Harvey Levin]

Yeah. And so far, no money has been deposited. And look, I've talked to the FBI, and I've frankly said to them, look, I'm not you, and you clearly know a heck of a lot more than me, but my spidey senses are just telling me something about this guy because they asked me a long time ago to put the word out, which we did, that anybody who is, you know, doing this as a hoax to get money would be prosecuted by the federal government. And this person wrote back and said, I understand that I am not. I am not in any way hoaxing. This is real.

[Charles Ladibodier]

And then the other thing that just

[Harvey Levin]

got me was, I believe it was the. The Tuesday after Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped. He sent us this note saying, I know where she is. I know who the kidnappers are.

[Charles Ladibodier]

Time is of the essence.

[Harvey Levin]

That was on a Tuesday. On Wednesday, we got another note from

[Charles Ladibodier]

the same person, but said time is

[Harvey Levin]

no longer of the essence, meaning I think she is no longer alive. Right.

[Charles Ladibodier]

Well, if somebody is carrying out a hoax, why would they take the immediacy away and say she's no longer alive? That made it feel to me like there's something legit. Because why would he say. Why would he take away the incentive to get the money fast or take

[Ashley Banfield]

away the incentive for a bigger. A bigger payout?

[Charles Ladibodier]

It's just bugged me that there's something

[Harvey Levin]

about it that I just thought I took more seriously.

[Charles Ladibodier]

They have very consciously looked at this.

[Harvey Levin]

They've tried to find out who this is, but they are not convinced enough to pay that money. And I know that as of a conversation I had with the FBI today.

[Ashley Banfield]

And so to be clear, because I think a lot of people are getting confused about all the different ransom notes. Savannah herself made a comment to Hoda Kotb saying, the two ransom notes we received, I tend to believe they're real. Those are the ones that originally came to you? Correct. And KVOA and I think another Tucson local station.

[Harvey Levin]

Yeah. So there are two different things we're talking about. These notes that I've just mentioned are people. Not somebody who was a kidnapper, somebody who says he knows where the kidnapper is and where Nancy is. The ransom notes you're referring to. Yes, there were Two. They were written by the same person. We know that because it has the same bitcoin address in both. We received the first one along with two Tucson stations, local stations. The second one was sent to just one local station there, Kagun. But it's from the same person. I know that the FBI believes that those ransom notes are real, that that is from the kidnapper. They have done everything they can, from what I understand, to figure out who sent these notes. They were on with my IT team for hours and hours and hours working with my IT team, and they came up dry, and they could not find it. And they still haven't found out who wrote it. This is a cold case, and they're just waiting for one of those breaks that often comes. But they are at a dead end right now.

[Ashley Banfield]

They. You heard from the FBI that they believed those first two overtures were really from the kidnappers as opposed to scammers overseas or some near to.

[Harvey Levin]

Well, yes, but. And they are from the same person.

[Ashley Banfield]

Holy cow. So when Savannah said that, she must have had that indication from the FBI. They must have told her that they thought that they were real.

[Harvey Levin]

Yeah. Now, what I don't understand is that she was going to pay, and she. And for whatever reason, they backed off. They had a reason for backing off. And I know they did something. I don't feel comfortable saying it, but they did because they had asked me not to way back then. I don't know if it's changed at this point, but they thought they had a way of tracking that bitcoin address. It didn't work.

[Ashley Banfield]

Holy cow. And there's been no other communications ever since those. Those two. Right. Like, there was the first note that said you've got deadlines. Right. You've got a Thursday deadline, and then you've got a Monday deadline. And then that second one that went to Kagan, you said. And how is the second ransom note different from the first? What was it suggesting?

[Harvey Levin]

I never saw it. I never saw it. But I don't think it change the game. From what I'm being told by the FBI, that it's. They believe from the same person. It had to be because the bitcoin address is the same. And. Or they just told me that it was from the same person.

[Ashley Banfield]

And those folks at KGUN never did disclose the contents of their note.

[Harvey Levin]

They've never talked about it. We don't know what's in it. We didn't read it. But it didn't change the game. The person who wrote that first note, they believe is a kidnapper, and they have just come up dry.

[Ashley Banfield]

And we know that they used the same bitcoin address in the note that went to un the two stations and to KGUN that second. They all had the same bitcoin address. So the interesting thing is, Harvey, if you think back, and it's hard now with, like, you know, 64 or so odd days, Savannah and her family did a second or subsequent address on Instagram saying, we understand. We've heard your communication, and we understand, and we just now want her back with us so we can celebrate with her and we're willing to pay. And that, to many people, sounded like, we've heard what you've said. We understand what's happened. We still want a body back. Like, it sounded as though they had made an overture that maybe Nancy died.

[Harvey Levin]

I agree. I mean, that's the way I took it as well. That's the way I took it as well. Again, if you believe the guy who's been writing us these notes, she died somewhere between Tuesday and Wednesday after she was kidnapped. And I don't know whether that's because, look. And they said in the letter that they would kill her if they didn't get the 6 million by that Monday. So it's unclear whether this was foul play or she died because, you know, she was ill, she didn't have her meds. So I have no idea. But if you believe this guy, it happened somewhere between Tuesday and Wednesday.

[Ashley Banfield]

So the ransom letters did threaten to kill her.

[Harvey Levin]

Yes.

[Ashley Banfield]

All right. And so let's be clear, and I

[Harvey Levin]

want to say one other thing. When I talked to somebody from the FBI today, this person wanted us to repeat that there is still a $1 million, actually $1.1 million reward out there. So, you know, they're hoping because they believe money can be a motivator here, and that's why they're doing it. But they wanted that word out because they feel like people have kind of forgotten it. But there's a lot of money on the line for information.

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[Liberty Mutual Couple Member]

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[Ashley Banfield]

And I think it's even up to 1.2 million with the different sources. But 1-800- call FBI. I say it on every podcast, 1-800- call FBI if you know anything. If anybody acted weird, you know, on February 1, even second, third, fourth or fifth of the next week, when the video came out of the masked man, that guy had to be scared. He had to act differently that day. I always say for people who think that someone they know acted in a weird way in those dates, 1, 800, call FBI. Harvey, the letters that came out today to you, it seems like there's a mixed message. Like in the first letter, does he say, she's dead? And then the second letter to you today, he says, I saw her alive with them in Sonora.

[Harvey Levin]

No, he never said she was alive at all. He says she's dead.

[Ashley Banfield]

But he just said after you talked about when you did your TMZ live today, they sent a second letter saying, quote, I saw her alive with them in the state of Sonora, Mexico. Maybe he's referring in past tense because in the first letter, they said she's dead.

[Harvey Levin]

It's past tense. It's past tense. And so now he's saying, I saw her alive with them in the state of Sonora, Mexico. My request is not huge. And he goes on, he's talking about. He says he saw her there, but he's talking back then.

[Ashley Banfield]

Yeah. And now he's definitive. That Nancy, he says, if this person is truthful, he's saying that Nancy is dead.

[Harvey Levin]

Now, again, I talked to the FBI about this. I had a fairly long conversation today. And, you know, it's just I've gotten to know some of these people, and we were just talking, and I said, look, you know, I feel kind of out of place to even say it, but there's just something that's been gnawing at me with these letters that, you know, this guy knows it's a federal crime. He keeps sending these notes. And it was that whole thing about time is no longer of the essence. And they said, yeah, yeah, we hear you. But, you know, there are a lot of crackpots out there, so maybe they know something. I mean, I'm sure they do that. I don't know. But on the one hand, they seem to be dismissing it. On the other hand, I can tell you they spent a heck of a lot, a lot of time trying to track down this guy's email, and they weren't able to. To do it.

[Charles Ladibodier]

I'll tell you, that's the craziest thing about this.

[Harvey Levin]

Yeah, Ashley.

[Charles Ladibodier]

Is that this is 2026, and when you look at it, it's like the perfect crime that. I didn't think that existed anymore, but that you can kidnap somebody from a residential area where there are cameras that people have in their homes, and yet there's. You can't find the car, and that you've got these emails, and you can't trace the emails, and you've got these bitcoin addresses.

[Harvey Levin]

And I can tell you that the FBI did something with that bitcoin address

[Charles Ladibodier]

from the kidnapper, and they actually did something came up dry there. And I just never thought of the perfect crime being something like this, where somehow you could evade everyone.

[Harvey Levin]

Now, there were clearly mistakes made, especially by the sheriff.

[Charles Ladibodier]

Nonetheless, you know, the FBI came in and they got nothing. And in 2026 is really stunning.

[Ashley Banfield]

Yeah. I mean, you've got all of the opportunities for the regular forensics to work. Right. A guy's got a bite light in his mouth, which he had to put in and take out, maybe with those gloved fingers and touch something, door handles, to get in the actual bracket behind the camera, which he's messing with. There's all sorts of opportunities to find that. Right. There's a vehicle that he had to have conveyed Nancy in. He can't take her on a bike or a moped. You know, then there's the digital trail, and none of this is working.

[Charles Ladibodier]

It's crazy. And, you know, we cover so many cases, as do you, where, you know, people make mistakes, they get spotted, and he just disappeared.

[Ashley Banfield]

Yeah. Vanished and as did she, which is just. So tell me about the frustration in this latest email from this perpetrator, or at least the person who said suggests he knows the perpetrators. I would consider this a perpetrator as well. He feels like millions of dollars have been wasted, yet here I am, willing to deliver them on a silver platter, meaning willing to deliver the. The kidnappers. And he's talking plural. I don't know if he's talking about them in plural or them in the singular sense.

[Harvey Levin]

Constantly talked about them in plural.

[Ashley Banfield]

He is.

[Harvey Levin]

Yeah.

[Ashley Banfield]

And he seems angry that the FBI is dismissing him.

[Harvey Levin]

He's been kind of bent out of shape from almost the beginning, saying, everybody thinks I'm crazy. They don't take me seriously. He's gone on and on about this, and he says, you know, at different times. At one point he said he had a criminal record. I forgot what he said the crime was, but it was some kind of burglary or something like that. And that he was worried that they might try and implicate him and he would have to go underground, take care of his family, he said, and that's why he needed the money. So, you know, he's kind of given this life story in kind of a weird way over a series of letters. But that's his point. He's saying that I'm going to be put out a lot by cooperating, so make it worth my while. What does it worth my while is a bitcoin. And now he's saying, give me half a bitcoin up front and I'll give you the info.

[Ashley Banfield]

Half a bitcoin is about $35,000. A full bitcoin is about 70, about 69 or so today. It's gone down since the original overtures. But $1.2 million would certainly guarantee him a whole lot of freedom and protection from whoever it is he fears. It just doesn't make any sense. Are you able to email him back?

[Harvey Levin]

No, no, it doesn't work. It doesn't work. But, yeah. And we, you know, he addressed the reward. I don't know. He addressed it after they made it 1 million, but when it was 100,000, he said, I don't trust the FBI. That's why he started contacting us. He said, I don't trust the FBI. So, you know, he said, we're going to you guys. And we ended up doing, you know, social media, which he saw. And we said, look, if you don't trust the FBI, give us the information and we'll convey it to the FBI. But now you've got a record through us that you've given us information. So they're not going to screw you out of the money if you really believe they would do that, because we have the record that you gave it

[Charles Ladibodier]

to us, and we.

[Harvey Levin]

We gave it to the FBI. But he didn't do it.

[Ashley Banfield]

Well, you're playing checkers, and maybe he's playing chess. And suddenly he. He didn't know what to do other than just rant and get angry and just try again. I know your time is precious, and I'm just very appreciative of the time that you've given us. Keep me posted. Let me know if you hear again.

[Harvey Levin]

Yeah, I mean, you'll be my second call, right? Well, honestly, I mean, we're giving everything to the FBI when we get it. I just don't think they are looking at this in a real serious way. And I'm not saying they're wrong. I'm just telling you what my spidey senses say, and I may be all wrong here, too.

[Ashley Banfield]

1-800-call FBI, anybody who sees this, and we've got thousands watching. So thank you, Harvey. I appreciate you telling us about this.

[Harvey Levin]

My pleasure, Ashley.

[Ashley Banfield]

So there you have it. I could have talked to Harvey a lot longer, but he is wall to wall today. Obviously, he's got a lot going on with two communications from somebody who is committing a federal crime, you know, by demanding money for information, you know, leading to, you know, where Nancy Guthrie might be. And he's working with the FBI, as you heard, hand in glove, right, that the FBI has spent hours at the offices of tmz, working on their servers and working to try to track these people. Multiple different people have been going through tmz, making communications in the Nancy Guthrie investigation. Whether they are legitimate or not, God is not for you and me to decide, nor Harvey, and he freely admits that. But these people are doing this. And if they're not the kidnapper, they're still committing a crime, a federal crime. If they are the kidnapper. Holy. That is a massive series of crimes. And it is huge to me to learn that these alleged ransom seekers threatened to kill Nancy Guthrie. We had not heard that. I wondered. I assumed I had thought. But I also thought that the threat was, we just don't turn her over until you play ball. That's also equally a threat when you're talking about a family member and that the FBI believes that those two first notes are real. When Savannah said it, I wondered why. I wondered why she believed the two he received, I tend to believe are real. I wondered why. And now, perhaps it's because what the FBI told TMZ and the people they were working with at TMZ and Harvey Levin at tmz, that they indeed believed that those two original alleged ransom notes came from the kidnappers. It certainly does throw quite another wrench into solving the puzzle. But anyway, I wanted to come to you with this additional episode today to make sure you had all of this news. It's pretty big, and it's pretty breaking. Who knows where it'll go from here, though. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you so much for watching. And remember, the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious.